Bede (Lib-Rah-Tor)

While I am relieved that I had thought to have my writings copied and stored where they can be safe, I almost wish that I could carve them into stone or clay a dozen times. This Lib-Rah-Tor is at least a change from how these uprisings and rebellions tend to be, and I suspect that even if his forces are crushed, they will grow to quite a dangerous size. According to the laws of documentation and record, all things that are exceptions to the natural order must be documented. Perhaps there will be a second or third Lib-Rah-Tor, and this will be a consistent problem. Would it not be wise to be able to look back on my writings and prepare?

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I am so troubled by how the Scaeptrum and the patricians will view me writing such things about a "cruciarius", I am very concerned about this figure and the mystery that surrounds them. The seers had almost no omens for the arrival of this slave uprising or this new cult, and the gods seem to almost completely ignore this unbeliever, while never coming to the aid of his enemies.

The more and more I travel by horse or foot, the more I find territory that appears to be under his control, the more battlefields I find, the more ruined forts, or villagers that raise his banners.

While his loyal 'fighters' as they call themselves, don't appear to have correct or true beliefs, they do however believe them completely, and they appear to fight with such encouragement that there is energy in them that simply shouldn't be there.

I am starting to suspect that calling him 'Flagéllum Inferos' should have been taken more seriously. This cult could be the greatest threat that civilization and the Scaeptrum have ever endured, and I say this knowing of the lesser empires.

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I have been quietly traveling along the roads constructed by a small series of cities known as Bede. With little conversations here and there, and some pretending to be a merchant, I have managed to learn that these roads were constructed with the advice of the Lib-Rah-Tor and his own scribes. There appears to be trade flowing from this mixture of hills, flood-plains, steppes, and desert sand, out towards small cities, barbarians, and a small group of Republicans dating from the era before the Scaeptrum. I see mines of iron and salt, large irrigation projects of wheat and other staples, massive herds of sheep that move constantly. Not only are the herds of sheep larger then any I have seen, but they appear to have many shepherds and are some kind of highly organized process. There appears to be trampled grass and animal waste in large amounts, but locals swear there is some complicated process to this all.

When I don't find fields filled up with the remains of what sheep have done, I find farmland that has been looted or put to the torch. I have lost count of the time of times I have had trouble sleeping or had to hurry off because of the horrible plague of bandits, barbarians, and marauders in this area.

The third thing I find, taking up large fields, is perhaps the most chilling thing of all I have found. There are bodies and bodies of large bands of scum and villainy, with broken bones, smashed shields, and shattered skulls. There are little flecks of lead within them and I heavily suspect that these men were slaughtered by an avalanche of lead bullets from trained slingers. If I don't find that everything looks like some large beast sat upon it, I find that there are large puncture wounds, and signs of large groups of powerful arrows, thrown javelins, or impaled spears.

Traveling by secret and moving from the ruins of one fight to another, I have found so many broken spears, snapped quivers, and the remains of horses. Spearmen are typical of little concern, as they fight poorly and don't understand formation, and I already know that the Lib-Rah-Tor has suitable spearmen. No no no, the signs that archers and horsemen are being cut down or taken captive is very telling to me. The Scaeptrum has had to change so much to make it more mobile and able to react to such kinds of enemies, but this cult seems to have completely avoided the problem. They have men on horses, but nowhere near this area. They don't seem to rely on long swords or more mobile shields, sticking to tried and true equipment from the ancients.

I have spoken to some of the savages who survived the fighting and some unaware farmers of the area, and they claim that most of the infantry of Bede are indeed Tartarughe, raised as professional soldiers or militia from the freemen farmers with larger fields and more animals. They use spears longer than ours, but rather than using the Hoplon and a still longer spear, they pair their spears with the round shields of the savages. I know of trained men who get into the thick of things and wear heavy armor, but I have never known them to use spears in this age. They appear just as flexible as Legionaries or men with maces, able to move quickly. Not only are the men said to be able to drive themselves into place and become a wall, that can't be moved, but there are many signs that they march after horsemen till the horses fall, and then rush the riders to cut them down.

The lands outside Bede seem to burn or be in ruins after many years of chaos, as if the world had come to an end and all was lost, but within and around Bede I am finding many bodies of those who would oppose these settlements.

While speaking to some Republican or savage merchants, they tell me the same two stories, that they themselves have converted to the cult, or they are frustrated that many around them are. From what I understand, the area is crawling with merchants who spread the cult, and three separate "seers" have pushed it into neighboring lands. The mystery cult, nature worship, and Prometheus cult in the area appear to be on the verge of complete consumption by the Lib-Rah-Tor cult.

What makes my blood become even more like ice, is the recent knowledge that the Lib-Rah-Tor has taken most of his best men further out to meet the Eastern Empire of the Iron Horse. I hear rumors that many of the surviving savages have been sent into the distance to form an unstoppable army loyal to the Scourge himself.

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GruffJosh, provided the prompt words of: Injury, Avalanche, Mystery